It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Trouble
by King in Yellow
Summary: An evening of caroling turns dangerous when an old enemy revisits to Middleton bent on revenge. Someone will learn the hard way that the Possible family does not like having interruptions to their holiday party. Bonnie and Ron are in from California. Best Enemies series, around thirteen years after first story in the sequence.
1. The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

This story is set some twelve or thirteen years after Best Enemies. My profile outlines this sprawling series. If you don't know Best Enemies and don't want to bother with the profile I'll mention Kim went to work for Global Justice after college. Shego spent a little time in prison and a long time on probation, but is now a lawyer.

NoDrogs created Kasy and Sheki; I've changed their origin and added a younger sister.

**Chapter 1 - Oh the Weather Outside Is Frightful**

"It's wonderful you're going caroling with us," Kim told Shego as they donned warm clothing.

"Do I get or lose Brownie points if I admit I actually enjoy it?"

Kim frowned slightly, "Why would you lose points?"

"Because I'm not doing it just to be a good sport."

The redhead laughed, "I'm just happy you're going with us. There were some years when you were kind of hostile to Christmas."

"Yeah, well I was trying to figure out this Jewish thing. Now it doesn't bother me. Besides, it's important to you. And growing up we always sang the real carols at our house – not that crappy Rudolph and snowman stuff. I'm pretty sure Jesus turns over in his grave at that–"

"Shego!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist."

"You could try. Anyway, I'm pretty sure growing up with carols is why Bonnie comes too, and why Ron doesn't... He probably knows all the songs from the Snowman Hank Special."

"None of which we will be singing," Shego said firmly. "Honestly, I think as a Christian you should be offended at some of that junk they call Christmas music."

Kim glanced at the clock on the dresser. "Maybe. We'll discuss that later. We need to move."

Those in the large front hall were divided between those putting on coats, hats, and mittens before braving the frigid air and those who would stay in the old house and prepare for the _après_-caroling party and watch the smaller children.

Hana Stoppable was among those going out. It surprised Kim slightly, until she remembered that Hana would likely have diaper duty for her niece if she stayed behind. More surprising was eleven year Kasy struggling to keep the coat off three year Jane. The struggling part was not the surprise.

"Hey, Squid, why are you dressing to go out?" Shego asked.

"I wanna go with you."

"It's cold. You don't know the songs."

"I wanna go with you."

"Why do you want to come with us?"

"Sheki said cookies and cocoa after singing."

"See, it's Sheki's fault," Kasy announced triumphantly.

"It's no one's fault," Shego corrected her.

"They're going to be cookies and cocoa here," James Possible pointed out. "And Aaron and Catlyn and Junior are here."

Jane stopped struggling, "Sheki said you sing and people give you cookies."

"Yes," Sheki agreed. "But there are cookies here. You don't have to go out in the cold."

"I want cookies there and cookies here," Jane said with the logic of a three-year old.

_"Great, Kasy part two,"_ Shego thought. _"Redheads, nothing but trouble."_

Knowing that church members were supposed to be at the nursing home in fifteen minutes Kim gave up the fight. "Put your coat on," she sighed. "The people at the nursing homes love to see children."

"So, what's the schedule, KP?" Ron asked, "When do I need to make the cocoa and hot cider?"

"Three nursing homes with the church. Then we'll probably stop and carol at the Mankeys and Crandalls on the way back. We should be back around nine."

"I told her it was okay to have the church group over here," Shego told him.

"Maybe next year," Kim said.

"Why aren't the Mankeys going caroling?" Ron's father asked.

"Jessica has the mumps, so combination of taking care of her and hoping not to spread any germs."

"What're the logistics?" Kim asked as the singers left the house. "I'll drive our van."

"We can take Joss, Wade, and Bego," Tim said.

"What happened to Jim and Zita?" the blue girl who had flown in from New York asked.

"Scrooge says he doesn't want to carol. They'll be over for the party."

Kim frowned, "I'm not sure we can get everyone else in the soccer-mobile... Shego and me, the three girls–"

"The guitar," Kasy added.

"Bonnie, Mom, and Hana... Some of you are small, we can–"

"No," Kim's mother told her firmly. "Overloading is unsafe. I'll take my car and–"

"Hana and I can come with you," Sheki said quickly, hoping to avoid any Kasy vs. Jane drama. "Then we have room if Briana wants to come over for the party and a sleepover."

Anne Possible smiled, "That works."

"Could we ask if Jason wants to–" Kasy began.

"No," Shego told her. "He might have Jessica's germs. And you can't have a boy at a sleepover. Let's get in the cars."

_"You're no fun,"_ Kasy thought as they loaded the vehicles and headed for the first nursing home.

The snow started to fall as they arrived at the first nursing home. "The forecast was no snow," Bonnie commented. "Weathermen were wrong again. But usually they say snow and we don't get any."

"Liability issue," Shego told her. "They've got to give you the worst case scenario so you can get prepared. The worst case usually doesn't happen, and then you blame them for trying to make sure you were ready. But if they gave you best case scenario and the worst happened you'd really give them hell."

Kim commented, "Yes, but we ignore them because they're always giving their worst case vision, and when it actually happens we aren't prepared because we figured they were crying wolf."

"Where's the wolf?" Jane called from the back of the van.

"I'll tell you later," Kim promised. "We need to get inside."

Storm sirens sounded as the carolers were almost done at the first stop, and the nursing home administrator's voice came over the PA system urging that all visitors return home immediately.

A police car, lights flashing, was parked behind the Possible van in the parking lot. A familiar figure leaned against the car, squinting through the driving snow at the figures emerging from the nursing home.

"Hobble," Shego greeted him cheerfully, "you should have your feet up on a desk. What's a captain doing freezing his ass off in this?"

"No lip, or I'll run you in for obstructing justice and interfering with an officer performing his duties. Need to see Kim. Trouble."

Kim, shepherding the little redhead – who was busy protesting the lack of cookies – caught the last statement. "What's the problem?"

"Storm troopers, we–"

"Neo-Nazis?" Shego interrupted.

"It's what we call 'em. Hell, we–" He noticed the young girls. "I mean, heck, we don't really know what they call themselves. Been a couple towns hit with freak snow storms in the last two weeks. Some gang with snowmobiles, smash into places, grab stuff and're off on their snowmobiles before the police can get there on icy roads."

"And you think that is what's happening?" Anne Possible asked.

"It fits their MO. I mean, the freak snowstorm part."

"So why are you looking for Kim?" Shego demanded.

"Well, she's done a lot for Middleton and we were hoping she might think of something. Ron said where you'd be. Kim and Ron were always a great team."

"And what she's supposed to do, get a snow mobile herself and drive around Middleton at random?"

"There are those hovercraft out at Lipsky and Load, maybe–"

"Absolutely," Wade assured him. "We'll help any way we can."

Tim, Joss, and Bego nodded in agreement.

"We need to get home and plan," Shego said. "Middleton's a big place. Where would crooks hit?" She turned to Hobble, "Got particular stuff they go after?"

"Lot of jewelry. They... You're right. Better get back to your place before the roads are impassable. I'll lead the way."

In almost whiteout conditions the police car, lights flashing, led the convoy back.

"Freak snowstorm sound familiar?" Kim asked, staring hard out the windshield.

"That plan of Drakken? Try not to think about it. I could have killed you that time."

"You could have killed me in Wacky Wally's office. You didn't. I'm thinking weather machine. Ron and I faced it again, someone here in Middleton, Summer Gale, used one for drama – got a lot more than she intended.

Shego looked up a phone number on her smart phone, "Quiet back there," she barked as she punched in the number."

_"Wacky Wally's Weather Machines. Providing climate change since nineteen-ninety-seven. How can we give you a better tomorrow?"_

"I'm calling on behalf of the Middleton Police Department. We–"

_"Wacky Wally's has no responsibility for how our machines are used once they leave the lot."_

"I'm not interested in charging liability. We're looking for suspects. I want the names of–"

_"Client confidentiality is important to us at Wacky Wally's."_

"Ha! Any municipality buying one of your machines has that as a matter of public record – got to justify the expense to the taxpayers. Names. Last three months."

_"Well, since municipal sales are a matter of public record I–"_

"All the names. Ever heard of obstruction of justice and interfering with an officer in the performance of her duty?"

_"Uh, let me find the records. I'll put you on hold for–"_

"You won't put me on hold. But go find the records."

"You aren't an officer performing your duty," Kim whispered

Shego put her hand over the mouthpiece of her phone. "Didn't say I was. I asked if he had heard of the charges."

The man's voice came back on the phone, _"Have the list, beginning three months ago–"_

"May I record this?"

_"Record?"_ he asked nervously.

"I may want to ask buyers if their machine has been stolen. It also resolves you of any possibility of an obstruction of justice charge."

_"Really?"_

"Absolutely," Shego lied.

He read through a list of towns, mostly in the southwest, two foreign countries, three ranchers, and right after he mentioned a city in New Mexico, _"Captain Vengeance, then in–"_

"Stop!" Shego ordered. "Captain Vengeance?"

_"That was the name he gave."_

"But it was hardly the name on the credit report."

_"He paid cash. Seven percent discount for cash sales. A lot of cities actually pay cash. Then after him it–"_

"That's enough," Shego told him. "I suspect that's our man."

_"Okay... And this clears Wacky Wally's of any legal issues?"_

"Yeah," Shego sighed. "Thanks for your cooperation."

"Captain Vengeance?" Kim asked as Shego put away her phone.

"Yeah... Probably someone pissed off with you. I wasn't going to let you go out with Ron – he's out of shape. You and I would make a great team. But there's a chance this guy could be heading for our place, and I want to be there if he shows up."

"Other people in town have enemies. Lipsky and Load–"

"Get real, Kim, this has one of your old enemies written all over it. I just wish I knew which one. It would be industrial sabotage for Lipsky and Load... Maybe Frugal Lucre, robbing a couple places before Middleton to pay for the weather machine."

"Who's Fruggle Looker?" Jane called.

"Eemah will tell you after Mommy goes out," Shego promised.

"And the wolf?"

"Yes, and the wolf too."

"The man's name is Frugal Lucre," Kim told the young girl. "And we don't know that it's him. He did some things he shouldn't have done, but nothing like this."

Three minutes later the convoy of vehicles pulled into the long driveway. Tim's car got briefly stuck in the snow and Bego and Joss got out to push. There was little traction for their feet, but Tim carefully fed it just a little gas and they made it into the drive and kept Anne Possible from being stuck on the street.

Drifts were high enough that Bonnie offered to carry Jane into the house, but Shego took the little redhead. Drakken had arrived while the carolers were out, but Jim and Zita had called to say they couldn't make it out given the weather. "We'll get Jim after we get the hover car at my place," Wade promised. "Tim and I will head over–"

"Need me with you?" Joss asked.

"Always need you," Wade assured her. "But we'll get Jim and the hover cars and come back here. Most of them are out at the lab."

"Shego and I think they're using a weather machine," Kim told him. "I'll need one with good altitude."

"Should we wait for your briefing?" Tim asked the police captain.

"Get your things," he suggested, "before the snow gets too deep. I'll fill them in here. Don't think I'm getting out of here tonight – at least in my patrol car."

Hobble provided the information the police had while they waited at Kim and Shego's home. Video surveillance cameras at looted stores showed a group of a half dozen with ski masks and bulky coats that obscured any hope of identification – obscuring even if the looters were men or women. Time signatures established at least two groups – since two sites a couple miles from each other were hit at the same time – and perhaps three.

Ron expressed a willingness to go with Kim and try to stop the weather machine they assumed was behind the blizzard.

"Let's hope fer jest two groups of looters," Joss commented. "Bego'll go with Wade and me..." She turned to Hobble. "Alarms are still a'working, right? Problem is ya can't get to 'em fast enough?" The officer nodded his head. "Drakken'll go out with Jim and Tim."

Drakken spoke up, nervously, "Um, Wade and I were never great fighters. Maybe I should stay here."

"Don't be so modest," Bego assured him. "And think of the great publicity for Lipsky and Load."

"You're already talking about four of our best people," Drakken argued. "Does it need to be five for five?"

"Do it for old time's sake," Joss urged. "Least this time we don't face no monsters."

The blue man looked around, hoping to see someone who would urge him not to go out. He considered pointing out that he would be the oldest person going out but was too vain to use the argument. "Okay," he said glumly, "I'm in."

"I shall accompany you," Hana told Drakken.

"Hana, no," her mother said.

"If there is a fight it would be dishonorable to remain here."

"There may be fight here," Shego pointed out. "I think someone's looking for revenge on Kim and might attack here." She turned to Kasy and Sheki, "If someone comes here looking for trouble, you two and Hana need to get the little kids into the panic room."

"You do not know if you will be attacked," Hana argued. She gestured to Drakken, "If he goes out I must go out. I am a fighter."

There was a moment of silence. Hana was young, but the unusual girl was unnaturally skilled in the martial arts.

"Better let her go, Mom," Ron finally said. "She'll keep Drakken safe."

The hovercraft were not back to Casa Possible when Captain Hobble's walkie-talkie squawked into life. He put it to his ear. "It's started," he told them. "Just hit Stein's Jewelry over on Oak."


	2. But the Fire Is So Delightful

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**But the Fire Is So Delightful**

There was nothing the police or residents of Casa Possible could do to respond to the robbery. Ron, Kim, and Shego went upstairs to change.

Ron had some old clothes in a closet of the room he and Bonnie called home on returns to Middleton_. "Put on some weight,"_ he thought as he tried to close the cargo pants_. "At least it's close."_ The black t-shirt fit tightly, but still fit and he wore it with a newer pair of pants.

Kim and Shego were in better shape. Kim's job at Global Justice kept her fit. Shego remained trim from sparring with Kim and vanity, which demanded she be able to wear the old green-and-black catsuit.

Bonnie gave Ron a disapproving look when he came downstairs. "You're really going out?"

"Kim needs me."

"Don't do anything stupid."

"That's asking a lot."

She expressed her concerns to Kim and Shego. "You think it's safe to take him?"

"Kim needs someone to watch her back," Shego argued.

"I'm probably only seventy-five per cent of what I was," Ron confessed.

"I'm a hundred and fifty per cent of what I was," Kim assured him.

"Pride goeth before destruction," Shego muttered.

A couple minutes later the front door opened and several snow-covered individuals trudged in.

"Zita?" Bonnie asked.

"I flew one of the hovers here. Going to wait here for Jim."

"We can leave one here if Shego needs one for anything," Wade told them. He turned to Hobble. "We'll warm up a minute while people get their coats on. It's nasty out there. Faster response time if we're in the air when an alarm goes off."

Hobble fidgeted as the teams prepared. "City road crews can get police out on snow plows, but it's slow. Can't give you the backup we'd like. Be careful."

"I'll give you calls when Captain Hobble gets any information," Anne Possible offered.

"Sounds good," Joss agreed. "What're we doin'?" she asked the others.

"We'll be south of Main," Wade told her. "Team Drakken will be north of Main."

"Like the crooks care if they're north or south," Jim muttered.

"We need some kind of starting plan," his twin argued.

The teams headed out into the driving snow. Shego went out with them.

"That one's for you," Wade told the green woman.

"Thanks for putting the tarp over it."

"You're welcome," Tim told her. "Hopefully you won't need it."

"That one's for you," Wade told Kim and Ron. "You sure you can fly? Controls have changed a little."

"She can do anything, remember," Ron reminded him.

"Going to tell you what Bonnie told Ron," Shego told Kim. "Be careful."

Drakken, the twins, and Hana got into the air first. Wade delayed takeoff slightly to see if Kim had problems, but as she and Ron began to ascend Bego called, "Let's go." Wade nodded to Shego and the green woman returned to the house as Wade, Joss, and Bego took off.

* * *

"Does seem kinda odd," Ron mused as Kim piloted their craft into the sky, "the knocking over stores thing. Your enemies always wanted bigger stuff."

"Frugal Lucre, Falsetto Jones, and Duff were in it for the money," Kim pointed out. "I mean, weather machines cost money. The only really rich villains we fought were the Seniors. Maybe whoever's behind this has to pay for the weather machine and henchmen's salaries."

"Or maybe it's a distraction."

"Distraction? Like, it is someone rich and he doesn't want us to realize it?"

"Distraction like maybe the robberies are to get people away from the house."

"Don't say that, Ron. Shego can handle anything... Maybe she should put the kids in the panic room."

"Shego'll be fine. Let's get this over fast… I don't remember, will the weather machine be above the clouds, below the clouds, or in the clouds?"

"In the clouds, can't make it easy. You take the radar."

* * *

Teeth chattering, Joss looked over at Bego, "M-m-mus' be nice not to get cold."

"Oh, I feel cold... It is so wonderful to have all the feelings I do now. But I can adjust my temperature. Just hope we're not out to long, it's hell on my batteries. Hold on a minute." The blue woman leaned over and removed the eye covers which gave her the appearance of human eyes. Now red lights glowed in the dark.

"Be easier to see you like that," Wade pointed out.

"Yes, but I see better without them."

"'Sides," Joss commented, "bet she scares the hell out of anyone who sees her a comin' at 'em, all lit up like that."

* * *

In the other hovercraft Drakken shivered at the controls.

"We ought to design a detachable roof for these," Tim said.

"Need more structural redesign than just a roof," Jim pointed out.

"Be worth it," Tim commented, wrapping his arms a little tighter around himself for any additional warmth, real or psychological he could obtain.

To the wonder of the three men Hana simply stood behind Drakken, peering ahead. Neither the cold nor the motion of the hovercraft seemed to bother the young teen.

"You should strap yourself in," Drakken warned her. "A sudden wind might throw you out."

"I am fine. I will not be slowed down with belts."

* * *

Shego paced nervously in the library. She and Hobble had initially been in the front hall, until the officer took off his equipment belt and tried to set it on the piano. Shego had insisted they move to a room where he wouldn't damage anything. Anne Possible stayed with them, and tried to say reassuring things to the green woman.

In the kitchen and dining room small children enjoyed cookies and apple juice with parents and grandparents. Kasy and Sheki were old enough to feel the anxiety from which the younger children were spared by happy ignorance.

"What do you thinks gonna happen?" Kasy whispered.

"I dunno," Sheki answered. "Eemah thinks someone might attack our house."

"I don't want to go to the panic room."

"Eemah and mom want us to."

"They want the little kids in the panic room if something happens. They let Hana go out."

"Hana's better at martial arts than we are."

"She may be better, but we're good. We can help."

Sheki considered her sister's words, then nodded. "We help." They exchanged a high-five and, each taking another cookie, headed to the library for any news.

* * *

"Anything?" Kim asked.

"Not yet," Ron told her. "Radar is real limited on these things. Turn a little left...

Kim heard a small noise from the radar unit. "Anything?"

"Maybe. It's pretty far away if it... Head that way," he pointed.

"It's not a jet coming at us, is it?" Kim asked.

"Too big and doesn't seem to be moving very fast. Bet they don't have blimps up in weather like this."

* * *

Hobble's walkie-talkie squealed, "Yes" ... "Yes" ... "We'll try to get a team there." He looked over at Dr. Possible, "Who said they were taking north?"

"My sons."

"Call them. Furriers at Washington and 27th. Don't know it's the gang, but could be."

Anne took out her cell and hit speed dial for Tim.

* * *

Joss tuned in the police band and heard the call which went out to Hobble. "Figure the boys'll be on that one?"

"Probably," Bego agreed.

"Maybe I should stay towards the center of Middleton," Wade suggested. "We don't know they'll be working both sides of town."

Joss thought for a second, "They wouldn't wanna be too close - cover more territory and make it harder for the police to round 'em up. I say we stay south."

* * *

Kim brought the hovercraft to a gentle landing on top of the weather machine. "Isn't the same model Drakken had, but I'll bet we can find the hatch without too much trouble. We'd better tie-up to the mast."

"Careful, it's slippery out here," Ron told her as he offered Kim a hand. "There's the hatch." The two moved cautiously towards the cover. "We did this a lot faster when we were in high school, didn't we."

"We were young and stupid," Kim agreed. "And we didn't have kids." The fiberglass hatch cover wasn't locked down. "You pull it open and I go in first."

* * *

"Jim says they found half a dozen snow mobiles parked by the furriers," Anne reported to Hobble and Shego.

Shego's mouth tightened. She considered stopping the robberies a waste of time. The real attack would probably be on the house, and having to rely on Hobble as her backup scared her. With luck one of the teams would finish up their mission and be back before it all hit the fan.

The police captain took another call, "May be a problem... Check-cashing place on the south side was still open - workers couldn't get home in the storm. Got a potential hostage situation." He looked over to Anne Possible, "Tell Wade to be careful. Hopefully they'll just want to rob the place and clear out."

* * *

The front door of the furriers was knocked in. "Let's go in after them," Tim suggested. "I don't want to fight in the snow."

"Wait here," Hana told them. "They cannot see as they emerge and will be carrying loot." She turned to Drakken, "Disable their machines. One might escape me."

Jim looked like he wanted to argue. Tim spoke Hana's defense, "She's right. They'll want to get out fast, and won't be looking for trouble." He looked to Drakken, "I'll help pull off the spark plug wires, should be all it takes."

* * *

Wade, Joss, and Bego discussed the situation as they flew to the check-cashing shop.

"They probably don't want hostages," Bego predicted. "They'll rob the place and any customers and head out fast as they can."

"Let's jus' make sure we get there 'fore they can skedaddle," Joss agreed.

"Damn," Wade muttered as they arrived and found the snowmobiles parked in the light from the windows of the business. "They'll be able to see us if we get too close."

"Put us down in that alley," Bego suggested.

"What alley," Wade protested. "You see better than I can."

"Let me take the controls. We'll tackle them when they leave, if they don't have a hostage."

* * *

Three garden variety thugs were in the control room of the weather machine when Kim and Ron burst in… Perhaps one garden variety henchmen and two with above average intelligence to handle navigation and the weather controls.

As they rushed the trio Ron managed to trip Kim by accident. She rolled upright and brought down the man not at either set of controls with a kick, but as he crashed against the weather controls a hose tore loose and frigid air shot out at high pressure. The man at the weather controls grabbed the hose and turned it on Kim.

The cold air was agony, Kim closed her eyes to keep them from freezing and tried to fight her way forward.

Ron regained his feet, cursing himself inwardly for getting in Kim's way. It took a glance to see the problem and he threw himself on the man with the hose. The hose, still pumping out frigid air at high pressure was trapped between the pair and Ron threw his arms around the thug and held tight to make sure the pressure didn't blow them apart. Ron, dressed for the outside temperatures, was much better prepared for the freezing blast than the thinly dressed crook, who fought fiercely to get free from the blond man. Ron, not wanting to fail Kim again, held on tighter. Kim located the on/off switch and hit off.

As the cold stopped blasting from the hose Ron released the thug. There was no fight left in the frost-bitten man, who dropped to the ground. "Watch them," Kim ordered. She turned to the man at the controls and offered, "Easy way or hard way?"

"Uh… Easy."

Kim glanced over at Ron. "I'll tie these two up, KP."

The Global Justice agent looked back at the pilot, "I'll tell you where to land."

* * *

"You to the right," Hana directed Tim, "and you to the left," she said to Jim.

"Uh, I really don't like taking directions from a thirteen-year old," Jim complained.

"They will flee. You will need to stop them. We let them all leave the building first. Do not allow retreat to cover."

The twins moved into position, but stayed close in case they needed to come to the girl's aid.

They need not have worried. Arms loaded, the gang headed for their machines. The second man tripped over the man in the lead, lying unconscious in the snow." "What the—" he managed to say before an unseen attacker knocked him out.

"Careful," the third man warned. "Something—" He started screaming. It was a scream of agony. Hana knew the pressure on his nerves would leave no permanent injury, but the scream would frighten the remaining men, and frightened men were careless men. And as long as she kept the pressure on the nerve ganglia he would continue screaming.

The three remaining men dropped their loads and ran. Two headed in Jim's direction, and one toward Tim. In the driving snow it was impossible for the men to know what they faced. Jim and Tim each took on an opponent. The brothers were not as efficient as Hana, but the sound of their fights gave the remaining crook even more reason to flee. He forgot about going to his friends' aid, all he wanted was to escape.

Luck allowed the remaining thief to get around Jim and he circled to the snowmobiles. He jumped on one machine and frantically turned the key. The ignition clicked, and nothing happened. Swearing under his breathe he turned the switch off, and turned the key to the start position again. Nothing happened. The screams of the one man ended suddenly, although the sound of another fight, somewhat muffled by the snow, continued.

Suddenly a tall figure loomed up beside him. The crook dropped onto the snow, "I surrender! I surrender!"

Hana came to Drakken's side, "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything… I think you deserve credit for this one too."

Tim joined them, "We better move them inside before someone freezes to death. Jim's calling the police."

The news from Jim was that the police van would need to follow a snowplow for the arrest. Drakken looked over at Hana, who was now shivering. "Are you all right."

"I'm so c-c-cold."

The blue man noticed a small, full-length leather coat among the loot and wrapped it around the girl. "If they don't offer this for you as a reward, I'll buy it for you," he promised.

"Thanks."

"No, thank you."

* * *

Joss and Wade stood in the shelter of the alley as Bego watched the store.

"They are starting to leave," Bego told them. "Two men with guns… They'll probably be the last two out. We shouldn't move until they're out and put their guns away."

"Should we just follow them in the air?" Wade wondered.

"If we don't have a good chance now," Joss agreed. "I'd like to take care of 'em now, if we can."

The men started their vehicles. "I think they'll head this way," Bego predicted.

"What ya think we should do?" Joss asked.

Bego answered the question by stepping out into the street.

The crooks were startled to see the figure with the red, glowing eyes standing in their way. There might have ridden around her, but the leader gunned the engine and headed for Bego, believing she would run for cover.

Bego had no intention of moving. The check cashing service was not in the best part of Middleton and she had discovered a deep pothole in the street when she walked out. She braced herself, using the pothole, to avoid being knocked aside on the icy pavement.

The man on the snowmobile wasn't sure what to do. The woman wasn't moving the way he expected. He thought of just hitting her straight on in this game of chicken, but feared it might damage his machine and veered slightly to the right at the last second.

He might have grazed Bego if she had remained in place. She could have easily avoided him if she moved. But she slammed her left hand into the cowling of the machine, smashing the fiberglass and damaging the engine beyond repair. With a shower of sparks Bego's arm was almost ripped from her shoulder. The impact threw the rider from his machine and he landed heavily on the pavement, while the damaged snowmobile skidded into the path of another vehicle which crashed into it.

A third rider, trying to avoid the unconscious leader swerved into the path of the fourth. Wade headed for the two, hoping that most of the fight had been knocked out of them.

Joss didn't want anyone to escape and jumped onto the snowmobile that tried to speed by her. The driver lost control as he was tackled. He fought to regain control, but could not control the vehicle and fight Joss. He managed to apply the brakes, but the young woman made short work of him in the ensuing fight.

One rider remained. Bego cut off the feeling from her damaged arm and grabbed a trash can with her good arm to throw at the driver. She didn't manage a direct hit, the damaged arm messing up her sense of balance, but it was enough to insure he lost control and crashed into a boarded up storefront.

Workers and patrons at the store which had been robbed helped pull the damaged gang back into the store. Joss called the police and was told, like Drakken's team, to remain with the criminals until the police could get a van there.

"So… Looks like I get a new arm for Christmas this year," Bego commented as Wade inspected the damage.

"You're probably going to need a shoulder too. We could have followed them and waited."

"It was more exciting this way," Bego told him. She called to Joss, "Right, Sis?"

Joss smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

* * *

Anne Possible sounded hopeful back at Kim and Shego's home. "Sounds like things will be back to normal soon."

"Not for the police," Hobble muttered. "We got accidents all over the city, roads are going to be a mess for hours, and we got parts of the city without electricity and the power company can't get workers out to repair the lines and transformers."

* * *

"Ron… What did you use to tie those two up?"

"Well, kind of short of rope so I used my belt to…" He looked down at his boxers, his pants around his ankles. "Ah, man! Not again."

The man piloting the weather machine had no interest in fighting Kim Possible and was following her directions to land it in a large field near town. He tried to bargain with Ron and Kim to let him escape if he landed as directed, but she refused the offer. He considered crashing the machine and fleeing, but realized he was liable to be injured himself. "What if I cooperate," he asked. "If I tell you everything I know, will you tell the police and judge I helped you?" He looked over. One of the two men on the floor was conscious. "I won't rat on my friends. The boss, what do you want to know about the boss?"

"What's his plan?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? This weather machine? The robberies? How can you not know?"

"He didn't tell us nothing. He promised us money. After he got the money back for this thing he said we could have all the money for what we stole. Hell, he said he'd give us the machine when he was done."

"When he was done with what?"

"I don't know. It was something here in Middleton."

Kim felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. "Who is he? What's his name?"

"I don't know."

"He's not much help, is he KP?"

"You were right, Ron, these guys are nothing but a distraction."

A man on the floor spoke up. "He didn't use his name around us, but I heard him once on his cell phone."

"What was the name?"

"Phen, Fulton Phen."

Ron looked puzzled. "Fulton Phen? I've never heard of Fulton Phen."

Kim looked puzzled, the name sounded vaguely familiar, at least the Phen portion. "Doctor Phen!" she blurted out.

"Doctor Phen?"

"Vivian Porter, remember? He was the guy out at Middleton Research taking all the credit for her work in robotics."

"Um… short guy, starting to bald?"

"He's bald now," the pilot said.

"Shego thought the villain would be out to get you or her," Ron commented. "Would he really have it in for you though?"

"No…" Kim said slowly. "I think he'd blame, Doctor Porter… Maybe my dad… Or Middleton Research itself…" The thought was conviction, "Middleton Research is his target. Ron call Shego!"

Ron put in the call, then handed Kim his phone and went over to watch the pilot.

"Ron?" Shego answered the phone.

"It's me. Ron's phone. It's Doctor Phen—"

"Doctor Phen? Never heard of him."

"No you haven't. He got fired from Middleton Research… Stealing ideas from Viv Porter."

"So why is he out to get you?"

"It's not me. He might be out to get Viv, but I think his target is Middleton Research for firing him. Have you heard from the others? Can anyone get to Middleton Research?"

"They've stopped two gangs. We don't know if there's a third. They're watching the crooks until the police can get there."

"This is important. We need someone to check out there. They've got to have updated security since he was fired. I—"

"Hold on," Shego told her. "Hobble? Any alarms from Middleton Research?"

The police captain squeezed his eyes closed and visualized a city map in his head. "That's in one of the areas without power… Biggest area. We think it's a blown transformer."

"How long ago?"

"Maybe forty-five minutes."

"Shit," Shego muttered. She got back on the phone, "Kim, he's already at Middleton Research."

"Get Dad, take him out with you. He knows his way around, he'll—"

"Kim, maybe this guy wants to blow it up. I can't take your dad there."

"That's his life's work. There're a lot of scientists who… The research out there—U.S. science will be set back for years. You've got to get out there."

"Fine, I'll go out."

"Take dad, he—"

"I said I'd go," Shego said, and ended the call.

"Middleton Research?" Anne asked.

"Kim thinks that's where the problem is. She wants me to take James. I'm not going to."

"He'd want to go."

"I don't know what's going on out there, and I don't want to worry about him if there's a problem. I'll run away if necessary, he wouldn't."

"I… You're right. I hope Kim doesn't call him."

Shego glanced over at Kasy and Sheki. "I'm going to get my coat. One of you go brush the snow off the hovercraft for me. One of you go watch Grandpa, don't let him leave the house. Grandma will help you."

She left quickly for a closet. "Grandma," Sheki requested, "Grandpa won't listen to us. Will you check on him and we'll both go out to brush off snow?"

"Sure," Anne told her granddaughters, who ran outside.

Shego exited the house two minutes later, to find the snow mostly off the vehicle and the tarp cover carelessly crumpled in the back. She jumped behind the controls and took off into the dark sky.

Although the snow had stopped falling the night was oppressively dark under the lingering clouds and the lack of power made Middleton Research hard to see. She hoped any guards didn't shoot first and ask questions later as she set down by three snowmobiles outside the front door of the complex.

An electric lantern on a desk allowed her to see two men with guns watching four prisoners in the front lobby. Three of the prisoners wore uniforms of a local security firm. Shego guessed the fourth worked maintenance.

"You hear something?" one of the crooks asked.

"Probably the wind."

"Wind died down."

"Well nobody's getting out here any time soon. Go check the door if you think you heard something."

One of the security guards had heard the noise as well. She shifted, as if trying to find a more comfortable position, as loudly as possible.

"Stop that," her captor warned.

Shego appreciated the diversion. The man had made a little more noise than she planned when he went down. _"Damn, I'm out of shape,"_ she thought as she headed toward the remaining thug.

"Jake! Hey Jake!" the man with the gun called.

"_Old trick, but it always works,"_ Shego thought as she threw a small wooden doorstop she'd found by the front door to one side. As expected he jerked in the direction of the noise. He had a brain. He realized it as a distraction and turned back quickly enough that his motion added slightly more emphasis to the fist which collided with his jaw.

As Shego untied the prisoners the tarp on the hovercraft moved to one side and two girls crept out.

"That was a bad place to hide," Kasy complained.

"Where else could we hide? Don't complain, this was your stupid idea," Sheki whispered.

"She can't hear us, she's in the building," Kasy replied.

"But I'm still not—"

"C'mon, she might need help."

None of the Research employees had heard of Doctor Phen, but they had all been hired years after he left. Senior employees took weekends off, leaving the ugly shifts to newcomers.

"I'll start the emergency generator," the maintenance man told Shego and the staff.

"No," the green woman told him. "Don't want to tip him off you're free."

The man hesitated, grateful for being rescued, but still not sure who this woman was or if he should listen to her.

"She's right Carlos," the woman guard told him.

"James Possible will vouch for me," Shego told them. "Phen may be after Vivian Porter's work. He may just want to blow this place up. I've got no idea what he wants." She glanced at the female guard, "Can you show me around, Trisha?"

"How—"

"Your name badge."

"Oh. Sure, I can take you around."

"Blow the place up?" Carlos asked nervously.

"He didn't come in with a lot of stuff," one guard pointed out.

"Enough rocket fuel and things around here he didn't need to," the other man reminded him.

"Call the police," Shego told them. "You should cuff these two. Leave if you want after that – their snowmobiles are outside. You aren't driving cars anywhere tonight."

"Our job is to stay here," a security man sighed.

"And I can't drive a snowmobile," Carlos added.

* * *

"Her big project is the Jupiter probe," Trisha whispered as she led the green woman through the darkened hallway.

"Jupiter probe?" Shego answered. She strained her ears, she thought she heard a slight noise behind them, but decided it was merely an echo in the huge building.

"Unbelievably strong. It would have to be – gravity, atmospheric pressure, and the cold. They're going to drop the prototype in the deepest part of the ocean next month and let it work its way out."

Shego started to nod in understanding, but caught herself since the guard couldn't see her in the dark. "Prototype in the lab?"

"Yeah, it... He could do a lot of damage if he got that going."

"You can go back," Shego told the woman a minute later. The light coming around the cracks of the doorway a little way ahead showed the location of the lab.

"No. DeWitt was right, this is our job," the guard whispered.

Shego silently opened the door a crack and peered inside. The space within was huge, and even though Doctor Phen had brought an electric lantern most of the cavernous room remained hidden in shadows. Beyond the man, laboring over something which looked like a remote control panel of some sort, a huge dark shape loomed. If it was the robot for the Jupiter probe there was nothing human about it, nor anything animal. A giant boulder with multiple, short, thick legs would have been the green woman's description based on what she could see. "I'm going in," she whispered over her shoulder.

"Going with you," the security guard whispered back.

The two were halfway to Phen when something which looked slightly like a huge metal centipede scurried from the darkness. Two large arms extended from the front, but instead of the pincers one might have expected the arms ended with what looked slightly like giant, loosely strung tennis rackets. The arms snapped together, catching the women and squeezing them together between the two 'racket' faces.

Shego struggled to free herself.

"Don't," Trisha warned. "The harder you struggle, the tighter it gets."

Shego pushed again, wanting to test the strength of the metal rods and mesh. The trap tightened slightly, not causing any pain but restricting motion even more.

Doctor Phen smiled and walked over to inspect his captives. "Designed to capture animals in danger because of poachers, so they could be safely moved to more protected environments. Vivian should have sold them as security bots."

The green woman stopped struggling and examined the bars and metal mesh. She could probably generate enough heat to disable the machine or melt her way out, but it might injure or kill the security guard pressed against her.

Phen moved back to continue working on the remote.

"What do you know about this thing?" Shego demanded.

"Strong, fast, and non-lethal. They're real easy to operate, got to be when you hire natives who don't know–"

"I don't want the damn history, I want to know how to get out of this."

"I'm a security guard! I'm not a scientist. I don't know."

"Well we've got brains and opposable thumbs, animals don't. Let's use them."

"Just be careful, it can tighten up more."

Moving as little as possible the two women examined their prison and felt for weak points. Suddenly they heard a "Yes!" from Doctor Phen as a light on the control panel went from red to green.

The reinforced concrete floor reverberated with a **THUMP** as a leg moved on the Jupiter probe. **THUMP**... **THUMP**...

Trisha started to struggle, "We got to get out of this." **THUMP**

"Stop struggling," Shego warned as the mesh and bars tightened. **THUMP**

"It's heading at us! It can stomp a tank." **THUMP** "That's a depleted uranium exterior, it'd take an atomic bomb to damage the thing." **THUMP**

The thing was slow, obviously geared for strength rather than speed. Shego needed to risk trying to melt her way out. She saw a bar that looked like it supported a large section of mesh. Before she could move her arm to grab the bar the security guard began thrashing around in panic, and the metal mesh tightened further, trapping Shego's arm in front of her and rendering any movement impossible. Any attempt to burn her way out would likely kill both of them. **THUMP**

Shego avoided the temptation to panic. It never helped as a hero, a criminal, or a trial lawyer. If she got couple fingers through the mesh could she generate enough heat to cripple the robot holding them? **THUMP** Would damaging their robot captor cause it to release them or simply tighten more? **THUMP**_ "Don't panic, got to try."_

The green woman was too busy with escape efforts to notice two small figures dashing into the room. "Stop that!"

Startled, Phen looked up "What?" **THUMP**

Equally startled Shego managed to move her head in the constraints to the metal mesh. "Kasy? Sheki?"

**THUMP** "Turn that thing off," Sheki ordered.

Phen guessed the children were ten or eleven, obviously no threat to a grown man. "No," he sneered. **THUMP**

"You two are in so much trouble!" Shego threatened.

"Don't make us hurt you," Sheki warned. Kim and Shego had always stressed not starting a fight and she wanted to use reason. **THUMP**

"Go away," Phen told them.

Kasy hit him in the face. It seemed the best course of action under the circumstances. She followed the right with her left.

Phen staggered back, dropping the control device. Sheki dove and caught it. **THUMP** The man backed away, but Kasy had no intention of letting him get away and took out in pursuit.

**THUMP**

"Turn it off," Trisha screamed.

"I'll back it away from you," Sheki called.

"Owww!" Phen screamed. **THUMP**

"What are you doing?" Sheki called to Kasy.

"Just turn it off," Shego suggested.

"He ran into a desk in the dark," Kasy explained. The **THUMP** from the heavy probe was followed by the sound of several blows and another high-pitched scream from Phen. "Now I'm hitting him."

There was no further noise from the giant robot. "I could have moved it back," Sheki said.

"The way you put your coat away when you come home?" Shego answered.

"I hang my coat up. It's Kasy who leaves hers on the floor."

"Well let Vivian put it back where she wants it. Come over here and get me out of this so I can spank both of you."

"Don't let her out," Kasy suggested.

"You wouldn't really spank them, would you?" Trisha asked.

"Not in front of witnesses," Shego assured the guard.

"Eemah! We saved your life. That means it's ex... ex-something circumstances."

"Extenuating circumstances, and I figured a way out. I didn't need your help."

"If you figured a way out, why do you need Sheki to get you out?" Kasy asked.

"I don't want to damage Vivian's robot," Shego lied, "Now let us out."

Trisha called up front to ask another guard to come back and help her take the unconscious Phen to the front lobby, and tell Carlos he could turn on the emergency generator.

"How come you always defend us when Mom wants to punish us, but you want to punish us today?" Kasy demanded as they walked down a hallway at Middleton Research toward the front door.

"Mom wants to punish you for things that don't matter," Shego argued, pulling out her cell phone and turning it on. "You two put yourself in danger today when... Hold on. I got a lot of voice mails and texts. And I bet they're all people worried sick because you two are missing."

Shego called Kim first. "They're here with me." ... "Yeah, I'm trying to think of some punishment for them running off like that."

"We saved Eemah's life!" Kasy shouted.

"No, Kasy didn't say anything important," Shego assured her partner. ... "Stop at the Crandalls?" ... "Okay, we'll see you soon."

"Stop at the Crandalls?" Sheki asked as Shego put her phone away.

"They lost power and will stay with us 'til they get it back."

* * *

The District Attorney and other adults rallied to the defense of Kasy and Sheki, Kim even called Shego's parents to tell them how heroic the twins had been – rubbing more salt in Shego's wounds. The green woman calmed down enough that after various guests returned home via hovercraft she pulled the twins aside for a gruff thanks, "And don't ever let it happen again."

"Okay, Eemah," Kasy agreed, "next time we let the big robot stomp you."

"That's my girl," Shego smiled and put her arms around the pair for a group hug.

* * *

"Love sleeping with you on cold nights like this," Kim purred as she and Shego got ready for bed.

"And other nights you don't like sleeping with me?"

"Can I plead the fifth?" Kim hesitated, "You shouldn't be so upset you needed rescuing."

"It's not the rescuing part. Hero work is too dangerous. I don't want them hurt."

"Hey, I was a hero. I did okay."

"Yeah? Look who you married."

"I did just fine–"

"Ask your mom."

"Hey, they learned to love you. Now, get in bed and hold me. I'm still cold."

–The End–


End file.
